


Monkeys & Questions

by 29PheonixLement



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-20
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-05-09 07:50:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,240
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14712053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/29PheonixLement/pseuds/29PheonixLement
Summary: Alice's turn to ask the Big question.





	1. Chapter 1

Alice never could stand staying still for longer than a few seconds even when she was younger and now was no different.

“Starfish if you keep on like that you’ll wear your shoes out and a trench in the floor at that.” The wish created pirate teased glancing up at his pacing daughter then dropped his eyes back to the chess board to take her bishop with his rook. “Check love.” The father smiled.

Whatever what bothering her must be important seeing as Killian Jones hadn’t been able to put his daughter in check in so few moves since she was five.

“But Papa what if she says No?” Alice pressed not even sparing a real glance toward the board beyond hastily blocking the tower with her last remaining knight and also giving her father an open invitation for checkmate if he took the piece. “Even a blind man can see how in love you and Robin are.” He reassured her choosing to take another of her pawns with his knight rather than end the game so soon.

“Not Robin Papa. Zelena.” Alice corrected still pacing and looking as if she’d break skin if she kept chewing away at her lower lip like she was. “I want to ask for her permission to marry Robin,” she explained pausing only to move her queen to take one of her father’s knights “but even though she’s super nice and all she’s still rather intimidating and I’m terrified she’ll say no cause she’ll think we’re too young or something like that…. she may even turn me into a monkey now she has her magic back.” Alice went on now talking wildly with her hands and still pacing in front of the sofa.

“I’m sure she won’t turn you into a monkey love.” Ignoring the slight aching in his legs from sitting to long as Nook got up to both stop his little girl from wearing a mote into the floor of her and Robin’s new place that they didn’t find out until after they had finished all the paperwork with Emma that the cottage style cabin was actually one of Rumpelstiltskin’s old forgotten properties comfortably nestled between the town and the woods and to pull her back into the circle of his arms.

“You can’t know that.” Alice said panicking again her voice muffled by his chest while she melted into the reassuring hug Nook was giving her without fear of his heart giving out on him. “I mean it might not be too bad at first, right? Flying is like the best way to travel isn’t it?” the blonde questioned snuggling into his arms just as she had when she was younger.

“Talking with an old sea captain like me lass I’d argue that sailing is the best means of travel, but the detective side agrees with that comment no matter how air sick he’d get when he had to fly.” Nook sighed reaching into his jacket for his phone while keeping his hook arm wrapped around his daughter as she tried to work out if her true love would even still love her with wings and a tail courtesy of said love’s own mother.

“Hey, Margot. No everything’s fine we’re still at the house. How are things going on your side?” the pirate greeted once the call had been picked up. “Well, I’m sure you’ll do just fine whatever you decide. No that’s not really why I called this time it’s just she’s working herself up into one of her states and…. exactly and going by the sound of it you could use one too.” The old pirate barks a laugh scratching at his chin with the end of his hook as he studies the chess board on the coffee table. “You two are more alike than even you know from time to time.” The father commented

“…. And after all flying monkeys like marmalade, don’t they? What’s this for?” Alice questioned puzzled when her father pushed his cell phone into her hand with a call already in progress.

“You need a talk down love.” Killian reasoned nodding to the phone.

“No, I don’t. What I need is an answer.” Alice argued. Her heart threatened to burst at the musical laughter on the other end of the call. “Okay, I’ve heard less than ten seconds of whatever it is you're talking about and I can say that yes you do Tower Girl.” Robin corrected. “I could ask my Mom about the whole monkey liking that gross jelly for you thought if you want.” The archer offered

“Why thank you. Nobin but I’m already going to meet with her later today, so I might or might not ask her myself.” Alice could tell just by the mildly annoyed groan against her ear that her love was rolling her eyes at the ceiling “How many times do I have…” her archer started but Alice was ready with the answer “6,775… Nobin.” That brought a playful huff from the giggling archer in her ear.

“What am I going to do with you my almost runaway.” Robin sighed dreamily the phone jostling somewhat like she was now cradling it between her shoulder and her ear.

“Hummm how about…. hang on love….” Alice answered holding her own borrowed phone the same way as she spun the chess board around to look at the game from another angle before spinning it back again and ending it with one last move of her Queen’s knight. “Checkmate Papa…. how about you love me Targo?”

“Aaww Targo haven’t heard you call her that one in a while.”

The sound of the praising tone brought a surprised squeak out of the distracted blonde who nearly twisted her ankle spinning around to look toward the door and the happily grinning Wicked Witch now standing in the archway. “I know I know I’m early, but I think my sister needed to talk with your father about something or other and since his phone has been otherwise engaged.” Zelena defended bringing a surprisingly high-pitched yelp from Robin right in Alice’s ear.

“Babe I love you have to go bye.” The blonde stammered just as Robin was telling her the same thing on the other end of the call her hands shaking so much she could barely hit the end call button without dropping the phone completely as she handed it back to her father.

Zelena was giving her one of those x-raying Motherly stairs that always had Alice’s nerves on a knife edge. Alice could see her Papa trying to send her a reassuring smile over the other woman’s shoulder as he shrugged into his jacket and Zelena was busying herself with hanging her own on the rack beside the door. “I’ll come back again later for a rematch Starfish.” He promised pocketing his phone and pressing a parting kiss against the blonde’s forehead. “Calm down and just ask her love.” Nook soothed wrapping his arms around her in one last lingering hug.


	2. Chess the Question

Zelena Mills could tell something was up with the normally chatty blonde her daughter was head over heels in true love with. True Alice was still muttering under her breath every so often as she busied herself with making tea and playing the perfect hostess to the reformed villainess once Nook as departed with a defeated eye roll at his daughter's back and a whispered "Go easy on her today please. She's nervous enough as it is." From the protective father on his way out the door.

If that wasn't enough to peak the Sorceresses interest, then Alice's trembling hands in pouring the tea definitely would. "How about a game or two to pass the time?" the mother bargained knowing from Robin that chess always brought out not only a smile or five from the blonde but also got her out of her head for a while. "I'm not as good as Nook or Robin but I'm sure if you can teach my daughter you can do the same for me."

In truth, she already knew the basics, but it had been years since she'd played or even been interested in any games that didn't involve tormenting someone. "Don't worry I'll go easy on you." Alice smiled thinking about losing a few games just to soften the former villain up before asking her the 'million-dollar question' as Robin always calls a major decision but Zelena was already shaking her head.

"It's not like I'll turn you into a winged monkey just because I lost in a board game little Jones. I've grown a lot since those days." Zelena commented then added with a rather playful smile "I'll wait until you've beaten me three times then see how well you play as a flying monkey."

However, in her state, Alice hadn't caught on to the joking undertone behind her words as she set up the chess board for a new game. "Please don't make me a monkey I want to ask Robin to marry me first." The blonde blurted out knocking her teacup and most of the chess pieces onto the floor in panic as she stared at the stunned looking Wicked Witch

"What was that?" Zelena asked having just finished moving her pawn to start the game hoping she hadn't heard wrong as she fixed and refilled the broken cup with a simple wave of her hand.

Alice was quiet for a long moment not meeting the mother's eyes as her hands trembled again moving from one chess piece to another without moving anyone of them. "I asked if you could please not turn me into a flying monkey." The blonde finally spoke shifting one of her pawns forward instead of starting out by freeing a knight like she normally would.

Zelena nodded at that but then shifted forward to the very edge of the sofa her eyes piercing and expectant while moving another pawn into place. "Then you said something else after that." She prompted thinking that she was going to have to play the rest of the sentence out of her going by the nervous blush Alice was sporting. "Something about my daughter." She added taking the pawn the blonde had just moved into the path of one of her own.

"When am I not talking about Robin?" Alice chuckled still keeping her eyes away from Zelena's as her fingers moved on their own to caress the rainbow band around her other wrist. "I mean it seems all I do nowadays is tell Lucy, Neal, Papa and anyone who is willing to listen really stories about all the places I've had advancers then when I'm finished with that I start gushing about how amazing Robin is and how lucky I am to have her in my life or vice versa." While her words brought a soft pleased and slightly teary-eyed smile to Zelena's lips when the blonde felt brave enough to peek up at her expression before dropping her eyes back to the chess board Alice knew she was still quietly pushing for her to repeat word for word what she'd let slip in her frazzled hast to avoid being turned into a winged primate.

"Come on Alice." Zelena pushed again after taking four more of Alice's pawns and one of her bishops while the blonde with the far away look in her eyes had only managed to capture three of the other's woman's pawns. "What's wrong?" the mother asked her tone unyielding, but her eyes were softer kinder. "I want to ask you something but I'm…. I'm…. well, lets just say I'd rather face the Red Queen and the Jabberwock both or an army of something else just as horrible again than ask you this just for you to say no."

Zelena laughed at that. "Oh yeah. I keep forgetting you would have ran into some version of my dear Mom running around Wonderland as often as you have."

That seemed to bring out the more competitive side to her daughter's true love but Zelena knew that really it was her all most relentless effort to take not one but both of Alice's knights knowing from Robin that the knights where Alice's favorite chess pieces. "and I keep forgetting that it was Robin's grandmother that kept wanting my head cut off most times when I was running around chasing rabbits." The blonde answered shuddering at the memories now starting to go on the attack with the few pieces she had left grinning in pride when she soon had Zelena on the defensive and scrambling to protect her king.

"But how can I say one way or the other to a question when I haven't been properly asked it yet?" the former Wicked Witch reasoned letting Alice take her last bishop just to sweep in to toy with the fact she could now easily take the first of the blonde's two knights with her rook but stopped deciding to set the tower in the open space in front of the horse rather than take it.

The stalemate seemed to snap Alice out of whatever it was going on in her head seeing as she was finally able to hold Zelena's eyes for longer than just a few seconds. "May I have your blessing to ask Robin to marry me."

"Darling the only way a question like that would get you turned into a monkey would be if you hadn't asked me first." The mother sighed already feeling tears starting to form in her eyes as she leaned forward taking Alice's hands in both her own feeling the anxious shuddering against her palm. "That tradition is a bit out of date I'll admit but it's still nice to be included in such a major step in my little girl's life." Zelena went on but soon decided to let Alice off the hook before she'd have some kind of medical emergency on her hands.

"Of course, you have my blessing Alice Jones." The sorceress laid out "You've had my permission ever since holding your hand meant that Robin was preictally skipping back into camp that first night after the two of you met." Alice blushed at the memory "Oh yes you thought the rest of us didn't see cause it was after sundown but a personality change that great isn't going to stay hidden for long no matter what my daughter acting abilities."


	3. Finding the One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robin’s side of Chapter One

 Who knew something as simple as picking a shiny rock could be so frustrating?

But it wasn't just any rock. She'd been hunting for weeks now and was quickly running out of options in this new collection of realms to find The One. The one perfect shiny rock that will be a tangible reminder of just how much Robin loves her that Alice will want to show off and be proud to wear on her finger.

"Hey now take it easy kiddo." Grumpy sighed taking several steps backward to avoid knocking into the grumbling young archer as he followed her from her latest ring shop. He'd been making a delivery when she'd come in earlier and going by the dirt on his hands and his clothes it was a delivery direct from the mins giving Robin a new flicker of hope.

"Just cause you haven't found what you're looking for yet doesn't mean you can take it out on the door sister. We still have a maze of new tunnels to check out." Grumpy pointed out when without really meaning to Robin punched the door out of the way in frustration and nearly breaking the glass while she was at it.

"Sorry uncle Grumpy." The archer whispered shamefully but only earned a weak smiled grunt from the man across from her. "Happens to me a lot s'okay." He shrugged scratching at his beard and pick up the ax he'd left leaned against the wall just outside the door. "Everyone here knows full well not to steal a dwarf ax if they know what's good for them." He grinned when Robin looked at him in amazement that he'd just left a weapon seemingly ungraded as he helped her in her search. "Now the guys need help bringing in that the newest jewel haul. Want to head out with me see if there's anything there that strikes you, so you don't have to keep going from place to place for em?" he wondered swinging the ax up to rest against his shoulder.

Robin nodded pulling the other man into a quick hug in thanks "Don't get all sappy on me sister let’s get going." Grumpy huffed but Robin could tell he was also trying not to grin at her excitement at the same time as she followed the man back to the delivery truck.

The pair had just gotten back to the mines when Robin's phone started ringing. "Nook. What's wrong?" the archer greeted while she followed Grumpy over to the office they'd set up that lead down to the mines to make it into a more modernized business now they had some many new realms to sell to wondering why Rogers would be calling her when he should be enjoying a day with his daughter. "Is Alice alright?" she asked her twinge of upset at her cursed name overshadowed by the start of panicking only to pause ready to run all the way back to town if need be.

Her worries were cooled the father promised her love was safe and sound "I haven't found anything yet and I've been all over town. Grumpy brought me to the mines to help cut down on my travel but I don't know if I'll be lucky today." Robin admitted sadly despite the adorable rambling string of questions she could hear Alice asking in the background.

"And besides even flying monkeys like marmalade, right?" Alice wondered aloud making Robin laugh out loud causing Grumpy, Doc and Happy to glance over at her from the pages they were looking over curiously, but she just waved them off and turned her back to continue the call.

"What am I going to do with you my almost runaway?" Robin purred but it wasn't until she felt a tap on her shoulder that she remembered that although she wanted to keep talking to her true love that she was still at the mines and that means that the dwarves would put her to work even if it was little things like carrying a box of paperwork over to the other side of the room to the start of the collection of offices the guys had set up for themselves.

Robin even fall back on some of Margot's training in working at the bar back in the Heights and started filing some of the pages for them once she'd found clear place to set the thing when she'd reached her destination until a pull on her shirt sleeve this time from Dopey rather than Doc made her pause and look up from the stack of pages in front of her with her phone still cradled between her shoulder and her ear.

The mildly annoyed groan of Alice calling her 'Targo' no matter how much she liked the warmer happier feelings it had in her life as Margot West she still preferred being called 'Nobin' by her 'Tower Girl' but whatever her feelings changing into a rather unladylike high-pitched yelp of excitement at the diamond the sheepish looking man at her side was offering to her.

It was still an uncut stone and for the moment too large to be set into a ring but that could be fixed soon enough. A crystal white color but even in the low lights of the office, it was still throwing little rainbows into the tabletop in front of her.

"Babe I love you have to go bye." Robin said quickly not realizing until she'd ended the call that Alice had been saying the same thing to her as well as the all but tackled the grinning dwarf in a hug. "Thank you. Thank you. Thank you." the archer chanted feeling Dopey returning her hug and trying to steady them both at the same time.


	4. Ring Hunting with a Witch

After going to five different ring stores in and around Storybrooke the red-haired woman had finally talked the blonde into a kind of compromise while promising several times during the drive back down main street that Robin will still like whatever she picked out. “Besides this is more you than any of those other rings we’ve looked at today.” Zelena proposed pulling the car into a parking space while Alice fidgeted with the cuff of her jacket. “This isn’t about if it’s me it’s about what Robin would like it.” Alice murmured her eyes staring at her lap as the car came to a full stop.

“Trust me Alice.” Zelena smiled opening her door without getting out of the car just yet.

“But this isn’t really a solution its just a placeholder.” Alice argued getting out of the car as well “But it won’t make it any less of a proposal.” The reformed wicked witch countered draping her arm across Alice’s shoulder as they walked side by side down the sidewalk toward the shop they wanted. “Besides she’ll love it anyway because it will just as sweet as you are.” Alice tried not to blush at the compliment while getting a one-armed hug from her girlfriend’s mother.

******

“Actually, when I snuck out of the last foster house I was in I ended up spending the night at a store like this or tried to at least.” Alice mused as they wondered the aisles. “That was also the night I met Weaver for the first time.” She added with a little laugh when they finally reached the one they needed. “I mean the last time Tilly did.” Alice corrected

“I still slip up too. Everyone here does from time to time even now, but we all help each other get over having two lives in our heads.” Zelena soothes before Alice could get too upset with herself over it. “if you want you could come with me next time I go talk with Archie.” She offered holding her breath at bringing up taking Alice to see a doctor.

“Robin’s said something about that too she’s already made us a joint appointment. We’re going next week.” Alice tells her taking a seat on the polished shop floor as if the topic wasn’t having any effect on her like the last time anyone had machined Tilly should see someone about the dangers of going off her medication.

Rather than pressing her Zelena nodded in answer heading over to pick out some drinks while Alice started in on the ring hunt.

“This is impossible,” Alice was saying when Zelena returned drinks in hand to find the blue-eyed blonde still sitting on the floor shaking her head and picking up two more nearly identical rings just to grumble in indecision and go back to the other two again. “Completely impossible and I can think of several impossible things…..”

“Before breakfast.” Zelena finished trying to be amusing as Alice sighed running a hand in her hair as she paused to take a sip from the bottle the other woman offered her. Zelena for her part was now sitting much like Alice was with one of her legs tucked under her with the other bent acting as an armrest taking everything in with an amused smile on her lips.

“Clark any chance you have any more we haven’t seen yet?” the no longer green-skinned woman asked her voice carrying in the quiet shop. The question was met with a particularly violent sneeze followed by an angrily congested “Any chance you won’t ask me to go hunting in the backroom during allergy season again if I look one more time?”

“Please Sneezy just one more trip just to be sure??” Alice pleaded just as Zelena muttered a low “Oh come on every day is allergy season for you.” Earning an unamused glance from her daughter’s soon to be fiancée shaking her head unhappily. “Then we’ll even run the place for a while, so you can go over to Granny’s for a bite.” Alice jumped in holding out another box of rings to give something for Zelena to do than tease one of her friends. “I’ll even pay for everything.” Zelena offered already preparing for the whispered argument Alice would make about them splitting the coast should the offer work out in their favor.

There was a pause where the two could hear the dwarf blowing his nose several times before answering. “Lucky I like you new Jones.” He grumbled making Alice smile before her face went back to her uneasy mask of indecision as her blue eyes found Zelena’s equity blue ones. “Who knew ring shopping would be this difficult?” the latter asked saying the exact thing that was going in her daughter’s girlfriend’s head.

“I just want to find the perfect one for her. Robin deserves the best.” Alice defended looking over the assortment of scattered around where she was sitting as she ran her fingers in her unkempt hair when she still couldn’t decide.

“Alice take a breath for a second.” Zelena suggested rolling up onto her knees in a flash as she rested her hands over Alice’s taking a ring out of her hand, so she could interlock their fingers together. “Deep calming breath in.” the former Wicked Witch coxed taking one herself and giving the still anxious woman in front a her an encouraging smile until she did the same. “And out again.” Zelena instructed taking another deep breath so the two could let them out in sync. “Being cursed is the most horrible thing to ever experience but I have to say being Kelly really has given me more balance in my life.” She commented letting go of Alice’s hands only when they hear Sneezy coming down the walkway toward them.

“We’ll put everything back when we’re finished.” Zelena promised seeing the worn annoyance clouding the shopkeeper’s eyes when he saw just how much of a mess the duo had made already while Zelena took a long drink from the vitamin water her cursed persona had so often favored after she’s taken the box Clark handed over with a congested “This was *violent sneeze* hibdn.”

“Thanks so much for all of this.” Alice whispered close to tears as she pushed herself up throwing her arms around the dwarf’s neck in a lose but still affectionately friendly hug. “No pobem Alace.” Sneezy smiled returning the hug as best he could while at the same time turning away to conceal a series of sneezes in the crook of his arm that had him quickly heading off in search of more tissues.

“Alice how about you go walk around get the cramps out of your legs?” Zelena offered seeing Alice trying to hide her discomfort at moving too quickly after sitting in the same curled up position for the last hour and a half. “I’ll clean those up go on sweetheart.” She added at Alice’s guilty look toward the floor.

“Perfect.” Zelena whispered after a few seconds of searching once she was sure Alice was out of ear shot or at least distracted enough talking on a phone call to Robin to notice her taking a look at the constance of the box now resting in her lap. “We’ll take the lot.” The sorceress says taking the box to the register earning an amused smile from Sneezy “Thought you might once you saw the rest of the inventory.” He chuckled his eyes like Zelena’s following Alice around the shop.

“We need to head to the stables.” Alice says skidding into the checkout counter in her excitement. “Seems Robin and Dorothy are having another friendly disagreement again and I don’t want to miss it this time.” Zelena only rolled her eyes at the statement lifting the box she’d just bought under her arm “When will that girl learn that….”

“Wicked always wins?” Alice finished with a teasing smile sending Sneezy a wave as they headed to the door. “I knew I liked you.” Zelena laughed returning her free arm to back across Alice’s shoulders as the two headed to the car.

“I still haven’t decided on a flavor yet.” Alice pointed out sliding back into the passenger seat with the box balanced on her lap. “Well, you have the rest of the drive to find one.” Zelena shrugged starting up the car while Alice tugged at the tape holding the box closed.


	5. A First Addition Proposal

“Emma.” Alice complained trying to keep the pen steady as she wrote between the flashes of street lamps as they sped down the street. “Well I’m sorry but you’re late enough as it is.” The woman she thought of like her better kind of stepmother answered not that Alice needed the reminder as Emma threw her arm out to shield Alice as best, she could while breaking into a hairpen turn down a side road.

“Where are you going? I’m supposed to be meeting Robin in the other direction.” Alice yelped at the sudden change and to Emma hitting the protesting breaks as she came out the other side of the little street and narrowly missed getting hit by another bigger car.

“Trust me, kid, alright.” Emma says looking between Alice and the road pushing her bug to its limit as it was while praying, they didn’t get stopped for speeding. “Just finish that up and let me handle the destination.”

Instead of arguing again Alice relents reaching around on the floor for the fallen note pad she’d been using to get what she wanted to say perfect before writing it for real holding the pen between her teeth during her search. It took several more attempts for Alice to get the words right. “Emma stop please.” The decision surprises her driver “I want this to be perfect and I can’t write when you’re driving like this.” She pointed out.

The car came to a less than quiet stop just shy of their destination with Emma glancing nervously at her watch then out the windshield with a guilty little smile as she helpfully holds up the flashlight for her while Alice grins and sets to work.

“There,” Alice announces when she was finished handing the pen back to Emma without taking her eyes away from what she’d just written. “What do you think?”

Emma blushed reading over the inscription upside down as she helps in filling the box for it with tissue paper “How could she say no?” she asks closing the book, so Alice could put into the gift box. “What if she….” Alice asks her nerves starting to get the better of her. Thankfully Emma was there to calm her. “Trust me kid what you two have doesn’t happen every day even in the U.R.” the savior says leaning passed Alice to open her door nodding out to the darkened street. “Now go get your girl before she worries herself into a fit over where you are and blames me for it.”

It was only after she’d stepped out of the car and closed the door that Alice remembered they were across town from where she was supposed to be meeting the love of her life. Before she could point this out to Emma the yellow bug was already turning off down the street leaving her alone on the sidewalk.

After making sure her gift was safely tucked into her backpack for safekeeping Alice started walking before her mind had caught up with her actions. It wasn’t until she felt a strong grip on the back of her jacket bringing her clouded mind back to the world around her that she seemed to realize where she’d been unconsciously heading.

“You know keep this up and I might come to like saving you babe.” Robin warned when Alice immediately snaked her arms around Robin’s neck to twist in her hair as she closed the distance between them for a rather heated greeting kiss, “Don’t count on it.” Alice smiles letting out a soft giggle when Robin chases her lips for another softer kiss.

“Not that I’m complaining but I thought we were supposed to meet up at that new place across town.” Alice questions as Robin’s warm hand slides into her own letting the taller woman lead her down the sidewalk. “Well we were but then I thought of a better place for our date.” Robin admits tugging the shorter woman back against her to rest her chin against Alice’s shoulder as they hit the shelter of the underpass.

It took Alice longer than it should to recognize their destination distracted as she was with the alluring feel of her girlfriend’s tickling breath against her neck.

“What do you think?” Robin asks gesturing to the stone troll that had stood guard both times the pair had inevitably fallen in love with one another now looking down on a candlelight table surrounded in the warm glow of different colored paper lanterns that were no doubt held suspended above the table with magic.

“You spoil me my love.” Alice whispers leaning back into Robin’s arms to press a kiss against the side of her throat “You deserve it.” Robin answers nuzzling her face against Alice’s hair.

Alice bites back a giggle when Robin pulls her chair out for her as soon as they reach the table unable to hide the pout at losing the warmth of Robin’s body against her own. “So, what’s on the menu for tonight?” the realm jumper asks as Robin takes her seat. The question brings a guilty little smile to her archer’s lips “Promise not to laugh?” she asks making Alice raise an eyebrow as her curiosity rises when Robin tugs out a tupperware container from the insolated warming bag sitting beside her chair.

“Nope.” Alice drew out the word letting the ‘p’ pop at the end with a smug liking smirk on her lips that Robin was oh so tempted to go over and kiss away. She held back only by willing her mind to move to divvy out the meal she’d brought them instead.

True to her word Alice didn’t laugh…much. “Aren’t you supposed to say that this is the best spaghetti in town first?” she jokes taking the plate back while Robin rolls her eyes “I would but we’re not in Storybrooke at the moment.”

Alice muffles a coughing laugh into her drink “Trust me, babe, I remember eating at almost every restaurant in this town you can say it.” She reminds the other woman setting the glass back down on the tabletop after taking another sip.

“I’m sure Granny will like hearing the compliment.” Robin answers picking up her fork.

The rest of dinner passed with teasing conversations about this and that mostly Alice asking about the training Robin’s been doing with Mulan to get her back in touch with her inner archer after her time as Margot apparently dulling her scenes and Robin wondering about Alice splitting her time between helping out David and Dorothy at the animal shelter and co-running the library with Gideon.

“I have something for you.” Alice says just before they started on dessert as if remembering something important. “Really?” Robin asks pausing in the act of reaching into her jacket pocket for the box she’d been hiding while Alice turns in her chair to pull out what Robin guesses was the reason she was late for their date. “Really.” Alice nodes holding the gift-wrapped box across the table to her surprised archer.

It’s only because one it curled around the ring in her packet and the other is clinging onto the side of the table to keep from falling out of her chair from nerves as Robin carefully unwraps the box that keeps Alice from biting her already short nails. “Alice this is….” Robin say cradling the book like the precious thing it is almost to shocked to touch it. “Yeap.” Her girlfriend agreed with a pleased smile “Babe this is near mint condition.” Robin points out earning another node from the grinning blonde sitting across from her. “Gideon helped a lot.” Alice shrugged lifting her glass to her lips for a drink. “And it's not that mint considering I inscribed it.” She confesses

It’s that curiosity that has Robin lifting the book into her lap to read with the help from the light of her phone. “Stranger, Outlaw, Spy, Guardian, Fealty, Vixen, Lover.” Robin stops meeting Alice’s eyes with a sideways smile that never failed to make the realm jumper’s knees weak. “Have you been watching Game of Thrones without me again?”

Alice huffed crossing her arms with a soft “Just finish it please” as she nodded to the inscription. With another playful grin, Robin obliged “I am already yours now I’m asking you to be…. mine.” The last word was said in a whisper not having noticed until she was already kneeling beside her chair that Alice had gotten up.

“Marry me….Nobin.”

Robin’s eyes pool in unshed tears her mouth opening and closing several times without saying a word as her eyes flicker from Alice’s gaze to the ring she’s holding up and back again. She even leaned in to press several quick kisses against Alice’s lips before she answered her.

“No.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please don't hate me


End file.
